45 points and still driving
It must be a new record, following a freedom of information (FOI) request by the Institute of Advanced Motorists, it has emerged that a man from Liverpool accumulated 45 licence penalty points in November without losing his licence. In normal circumstance a driving ban follows the accumulation of 12 points. According to the information released by the DVLA in response to the IAM’s FOI, the points were all for failing to disclose the identity of the driver or exceeding statutory speed limit on a public road, between 1 October 2012 and 20 June 2013. By all accounts this beats the previous record of 42 points.
The second-highest points total, 36, went to a man from Warrington, Cheshire, who was caught driving without insurance six times in less than two weeks, between 20 February and 2 March 2012. Other notable offenders include a woman from Lincoln with 34 points, who was caught speeding three times and failed to give information to identify the driver four times between 15 January 2012 and 26 September 2012. A female from Hull with 31 point was caught speeding eight times in two months, between 29 September 2011 and 29 November 2011. A man from Westcliff-on-Sea, with 30 points was caught speeding six times in just two weeks, between 30 September and 13 October 2012. Failing to give the identity of the owner, speeding, and driving uninsured are the most common reasons for points. Of the top twenty licence-points holders, only three are women. But whatever the sex, one can’t help thinking that if these drivers’ tyres were inspected at the same time as the offences, the totals would have been much higher – just think: 3 points per tyre for below legal treads depths.
Motorists with more than 12 points still on the road
| Total points | Gender | Area | Number of offences | Offences |
| 45 | Male | Liverpool |
8
|
Not declaring the driver and speeding |
| 36 | Male | Warrington |
6 |
Driving uninsured |
| 34 | Female | Lincoln |
7 |
Not declaring the driver and speeding |
| 31 | Female | Hull |
6 |
Not declaring the driver and speeding |
| 30 | Male | Westcliff-on-Sea |
10 |
Speeding |
| 30 | Male | Colchester |
4 |
Not declaring the driver |
| 30 | Male | Brighouse |
5 |
Not declaring the driver |
| 30 | Male | Doncaster |
8 |
Not declaring the driver and speeding |
| 30 | Male | Dagenham |
6 |
Driving otherwise than in accordance with the licence, not declaring the driver and speeding |
| 28 | Male | SE6, London |
4 |
Driving uninsured |
| 27 | Male | Oldham |
5 |
Not declaring the driver and speeding |
| 27 | Male | Leeds |
4 |
Driving uninsured, driving without due care and attention |
| 27 | Male | E16, London |
5 |
Using a vehicle with defective tyres, causing or permitting driving uninsured |
| 27 | Male | St Ives, Cambs |
5 |
Using a vehicle with defective tyres, driving uninsured |
| 27 | Male | Portsmouth |
9 |
Speeding and speeding on a motorway |
| 27 | Female | Bolton |
5 |
Not declaring the driver and speeding |
| 26 | Male | Durham |
5 |
Not declaring the driver, speeding, using mobile phone |
| 26 | Male | Clitheroe |
8 |
Speeding |
| 25 | Male | Leeds |
4 |
Failing to stop at an accident, using mobile phone, driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence, speeding |
| 24 | Male | W9, London |
4 |
Not declaring the driver |
Source: DVLA, IAM
IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “Last September, the IAM highlighted a driver with 42 points on their license and we were told that more would be done to address the issue. Incredibly, we now have someone driving with 45 points. DVLA must rapidly overall their systems and working relationships with the courts to ensure that the whole principle of 12 points and you are off the road is not undermined.
“Any suggestion that some drivers may be able to speed with impunity and then talk themselves out of a ban puts our whole approach to enforcement into question. The police and the motoring public need to have confidence that those caught speeding or breaking other motoring laws will be dealt with equally.”
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